Political Quotes

“I thank the Senator for his words, support, and his leadership this year. I thank also Senator Murray from Washington. She would be here, except her plane is delayed. The vote will be held open to make sure she can be here, but Senator Murray is a Member of the Democratic leadership and well respected on that side of the aisle but also on this side of the aisle because, when she can, she creates an environment where we can do today exactly what we are doing today. I think the American people appreciate that, and Senator Murphy and I both benefit from that. I thank the Senator for those remarks and will now continue my remarks. At a Senate hearing earlier this year, Dr. Francis Collins, the distinguished head of the National Institutes of Health--an agency he calls the ``National Institutes of Hope''--offered ``bold predictions'' about major advances to expect in the next 10 years from sustained investments in biomedical research, such as we are doing with this bill. One prediction is that scientists will find ways to identify individuals at risk for Alzheimer's even before symptoms appear, as well as how to slow or even prevent the disease. Today, Alzheimer's causes untold family grief and costs $236 billion a year. Left unchecked, the cost in 2050 would be more than our Nation spends on national defense. Dr. Collins' other predictions are equally breathtaking. Using stem cells, doctors could use a patient's own cells to rebuild his or her heart.…”